Detection device and methods of use thereof

A portable food allergen and/or ingredient detection system comprising:

• a portion comprising a body, wherein the body comprises
• a reservoir comprising a liquid,
• a chamber for mixing the liquid with a food sample, and
• a sensor, the sensor comprising
• a first chip comprising a molecularly imprinted polymer layer comprising receptor sites imprinted in a first surface of the polymer, the receptor sites configured to accept a trace molecule of the food allergen and/or ingredient;
• and
• a second chip comprising a non-imprinted polymer layer, wherein the non-imprinted polymer layer is not imprinted with receptor sites,
• wherein the first chip detects the presence of the trace molecule upon binding to one or more of the receptor sites on the molecularly imprinted polymer,
• wherein a first portion of the sensor containing the first and second chips is in contact with the reservoir, and a second portion of the sensor is outside of the body;
• and
• a re-usable processing device portion which communicatively couples to the second portion of the sensor outside of the body to determine the presence of the food allergen and/or ingredient by determining a response difference between a response of the molecularly imprinted polymer layer and a response of the non-imprinted polymer layer in the presence of the food allergen and/or ingredient.